Rainy Day
by Kylie-Chan
Summary: As it begins to rain, Rufus is thinking about a lot of things in his life. Then Reno shows up, making the blonde wonder if all people are really so bad. Runo, told from Rufus's POV. Rated for language and shounenai. Please R&R.
1. Thinking in the Rain

A/N: Alrighty, I've come up with another fic! And it's not going to be a one-shot!gasp lol, Anyways, This was a lot of fun to write. I started it in math class (which I never pay attention to), and then I worked on it more at home. Soon, it turned into this! I think Reno and Rufus are a good couple, don't you? Okay, well, on with the fic!

Rainy Days

I sighed, staring out over the balcony. It was very pretty scenery, with trees and flowers all over the place. Not at all like Midgar, which has no greenery at all, unless someone decided to import it from a different town. But the plant usually dies after a few dies, unable to adapt to the Midgar climates. Waste of money really. But some people say that, if only for a few days, the plants make their homes a little brighter.

ShinRa never indulged in such things, finding them to be incredibly useless. Only a few people, mostly idiots, bought them. Scarlet for one. She doesn't care how she spends her money, finding that it was worth it to try and show everyone up. Heidegger too. I hate bother of them. They're gluttonous pigs who live to kiss my father's ass.

My father. Yet another person I hate. Many people tell me I should be happy. My father is one of the most powerful people on the planet. I could get anything and everything I wanted. But to be honest, all I really wanted was for him to stay the hell away from me. He doesn't think of me as a son, and probably never has. All I am is a Vice President, someone beneath him, and therefore not worthy of his time.

I felt something wet and looked up. It was beginning to rain. I had only been in the rain a few times before, mostly when I was in Junon. But this place was much prettier than Junon. It was a vacation home built before I was born, in a place near Mideel. The home was a huge stone building, surrounded by a thick forest. It was peaceful and calming. Perfect for when I was depressed.

I was here alone for the most part. My father didn't come, but he sent the Turks and a few other employees. I didn't know any of them very well, but I could attach names to faces. Not that it matters, considering that I didn't really talk to them. Supposedly, they were here for my protection, but I knew that they were here to keep an eye on me.

You see, my father believes that I want to take over ShinRa Inc., and in doing so I would have to have him killed. Although I would like nothing better than to see my father dead, I wouldn't kill him, especially not over such a stupid reason. I have more morals than people would like to believe. Besides, I don't give a damn about ShinRa.

But even though my father is suspicious of me, I'm still his only son, his only heir. So he always tries to prepare me to run the company when he's gone. He's been trying to get me to get married, so that my public image would be better or something, but I don't want to get married, so I always refuse every girl he tries to set me up with. They're all either complete bimbos or kiss ups.

I felt tears sting my eyes, thinking bitterly of all my father had done to me; all the damned company had done to me. It was raining pretty hard now, so I couldn't even feel it when the tears rolled down my cheeks. I just kept staring at the forest, the smell of water and grass filling my nose.

"Hey, what are you doing out here?"

I turned around quickly, alarm filling me. To my relief, it was only a turk standing in the doorway. He looked pretty strange in my opinion. His hair was dark red, and spiked up about 5 inches high, although there was a thin ponytail hanging down his back. He had let some bangs hang in his face, although most of it was held back by a pair of black goggles, the kind that people wear when riding motorcycles. He was thin and lanky, and was dressed in the normal turk attire. There were two deep scars underneath his eyes, and I wondered vaguely where they had come from. But the eyes themselves were amazing. They were a pale shade of green, but held a sort of depth I had never seen before.

I tore my gaze away from him, knowing that if I stared any longer, I wouldn't be able to look away. "I'm thinking," I said, finally answering his question. I returned to my previous position of leaning against the balcony, resting my head in my arms and hoping that he would go away. But instead, he walked over to me and leaned his back against the rail.

"What are you thinking about that would make you stay out in the rain?" He asked, looking at me inquisitively.

"That's none of your business," I replied.

He shrugged and turned his eyes towards the sky. "Alright."

I wondered why he didn't leave. Most people did. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye, than I remembered his name. He was Reno, who, from what I had heard, was pretty laid back and very cocky. He didn't like listening to others, preferring to do everything his way. He was also rumored to be a total bastard. Strange, he wasn't like that with me at the moment. He was just…nice.

"Do you want to know what the best thing about the rain is?" He said, cutting into my thoughts.

"What?" I asked.

"No one can tell when you're crying," he said, his emerald gaze on me once again.

I was surprised by what he said. Was he implying what I thought he was? "I wasn't crying," I said hotly.

He shrugged again. "Never said you were."

I glared at him for a few minutes, then turned away. Inside, I didn't feel angry though. I was surprised and somewhat afraid. Here was this guy, who I'd talked only talked to for a few minutes, and he was able to read my emotions like a book. No one had ever been able to do that with me before. They all assumed I was some emotionless bastard who didn't have any feelings.

"Why?" I asked.

"Why what?" His face began to become puzzled.

"Why are you even bothering to talk to me? Why should you care about how I feel, or what I think?" I said, a sort of lost confusion entering my voice.

"I don't know. You just looked upset about something. I guess I just wanted to know what was wrong," he answered.

His reply was strange to me. No one had ever cared what was wrong with me. Ever. It scared me. I didn't want to let him get too close to me, because I feared that I would just get hurt. So I decided to end the conversation. "Well, I'm fine, so you can leave." I turned my gaze back to the forest, making a point of not looking at Reno.

I heard his footsteps, and I was sure he was going to leave. But to my utter shock, he came up behind me and hugged me. I let loose a gasp. I had never been held this way before. His arms were around me, and the back of my head was against his chest.

"You're lying," he whispered softly. "What's wrong?"

I felt frozen, like my mind had gone numb. But then, I began to realize that I liked being held, that it felt nice. I swallowed, because I knew that I shouldn't think like that. "L-Let me go," I said, trying to keep my voice under control.

"Not until you tell me what's wrong," Reno replied, tightening his hold on me.

I shut my eyes, trying desperately to resist the urge to tell him everything. My heart began to beat faster and faster, and I began to feel his warm breath against the back of my neck.

When I didn't say anything, Reno started to talk. "Whatever it is, you can tell me. Maybe I can help."

"Why are you acting like this?" I asked, unable to mask my emotions. "Everyone is always telling me that you don't care about anything but yourself."

"Do you always believe what other people say?" He asked.

Damnit, he had gotten me. I couldn't stand it anymore, so I turned around and put my hands on his shoulders, resting my head against his chest. Than I began to shout.

"Okay, you want to know what's wrong with me? Everything! I'm the vice president of a stupid corporation, and I hate it! I don't want power or money, and that's all everyone cares about! I can't have a life, I can't even talk to anyone outside the damn company! I'm sick of it!"

Tears were now streaming down my cheeks, but I didn't care. "And to make matters worse, I have a father who is a self-centered, power hungry bastard, and who doesn't give a damn about me. All he cares about is looking good for the public, and that's all I am to him, some tool to help his image! And now he wants me to get a wife, when I've never even been on a goddamned date!"

My voice broke and I began to sob. All the while, Reno continued to hold me, not saying anything until I was finished.

"Never been on a date? So I guess you've never been held before either."

I shook my head.

"Then you've probably never been kissed, huh?"

I laughed bitterly. "Kissed? Yeah right," I choked. "I WISH."

I felt one of his arms pull away, and he put his hand against my cheek, raising my face towards his. Before I could say anything, he leaned down and pressed his lips against mine. My heart skipped a beat and I felt my face heat up. Without even thinking, I returned the kiss.

Reno ran his tongue against my lips, as if asking for entrance. I opened my mouth and his tongue slipped in and began to explore it. It felt so good, I didn't want him to stop.

When he finally pulled away, I panted slightly, due to the lack of air I'd had. When I looked up, he was smiling.

"How was that for a first kiss?" He asked.

I grinned, probably for the first time in my life. "It was perfect," I said.

Reno smirked, his eyes sparkling. "I told you I could help."

"Yeah, yeah," I said, resting my head against his shoulder. A strange feeling crossed my heart, but I wasn't sure what it was. He laughed and ruffled my hair. It was still raining, but much more lightly now.

Finally, he let go of me, taking a step back.

"Do you have to go?" I asked, sadness washing over me. I really wanted him to stay with me.

He nodded. "Yeah, sorry, I have to though. Rude and Elena were expecting me 30 minutes ago. If I don't leave now, they may come look for me."

I nodded and lowered my head, not wanting him to see the tears stinging in my eyes. I felt his hand against my face, and he lifted my chin so that I was looking into his shining emeralds.

"Don't worry okay, it's not like I'm really going anywhere." Then he smiled. "Meet me here tomorrow around 1:00 P.M., okay?"

"What? Why?" I asked.

He just winked at me and said, "You'll see." Then he turned to leave. But when he got to the door, I said, "Reno, wait!"

He looked over his shoulder and said, "What?"

I smiled. "Thanks."

He grinned and shrugged. "No problem." Than he turned back and left. I stood there for a few minutes, staring at the doorway until I could no longer hear Reno's footsteps anymore. Although I was sad to see him leave, I was also happy. Happier than I had ever been actually. I finally knew how it felt to be held, to be kissed. It was all thanks to Reno.

I couldn't stop smiling as I left the balcony. The thought of seeing Reno tomorrow made the strange feeling stronger. I couldn't identify it, but whatever it was, it really felt nice. I began to hum, tilting my head back slightly.

"Thanks Reno," I whispered softly. "Thanks."


	2. A Fun Suggestion

A/N: Yay, I've started chapter two! I hope it's not too soon after I put up chapter one though. But I got two reviews, which made me feel really happy, so I wanted to get working on chapter two. I don't know exactly how long this fic will last, but I plan on making it somewhat long. Okay, anyways, I'm also going to respond to my reviewers, to let them know that I appreciate their kindness.

**Kadaj-sama**: Thanks! Their one of my favorite shounen-ai pairings too, and I love writing about them.

**Green Feathers**: Awww, really? I'm glad you thought so. And you're right, there isn't enough RenoRufus fics out there. That's part of what inspired me to start writing this. And thanks, I'll try.

**Forsaken-Friday**: Thankyou! Yes, he's VERY crafty. But that's why everyone loves him, right? Especially Rufus.-

Okay then, so without further ado…

Chapter Two: A Fun Suggestion

I woke up slowly, sunlight hitting my face. I blinked a few times to try and get my eyes used to the light. As soon as they were adjusted, I got out of bed, walking over to the window. The way the sun was shining, you couldn't have told that it had been raining yesterday.

I smiled. I wasn't remembering the rain itself, but what had happened in the rain. I closed my eyes, remembering Reno's arms around me, his lips pressed against mine…

"Mr. Vice President!"

I opened my eyes in surprise. What could anyone want at this time? I walked over to the door and opened it to a girl with short blonde hair. She was wearing a Turk's uniform, which surprised me even more. Aside from Reno, I didn't know any of the Turks.

"What is it?" I asked warily.

She fidgeted slightly, and I became painfully aware that I was barely dressed, wearing only a loose pair of white pants. But I put that aside and repeated my question. "What is it?"

"Oh, right," She said nervously. "I wanted to let you know that one of the other turks, Reno, was late to his duty to guard the main door yesterday."

I rolled my eyes in annoyance, though I felt somewhat guilty since it was my fault that Reno wasn't there. "Is that all?" I asked.

"Y-Yes sir," She said.

"Alright then, you can leave now," I said, making it perfectly clear that I didn't want her here.

"Yes sir," She said quickly, bowing slightly before walking off.

I shut my door quietly, running a hand through my hair. I chanced a look at the clock, and found that it was only 11:30. I still had an hour and a half to kill before I would get to see Reno, and I wasn't sure what to do with the time. I sighed and walked over to my dresser, getting dressed just in case I should have another visitor.

When I was done, I just let myself fall onto my bed, thinking of a way to pass the time. I looked around my room and saw a bookshelf lined with a ton of old books that looked as though they hadn't been read in ages. Bored, I walked over to the shelf and grabbed a rather thick volume entitled 'The Ancients and their Secrets'. I flopped back onto my bed and began to read it.

I became immersed in the book, which was a collection of extensive research done about the Ancients. When I finally glanced up at the time, I saw it was 12:55. My eyes widened and I swore under my breath. I tossed the book aside and ran out my room and towards the balcony. I was relieved when I saw that Reno hadn't gotten there yet, and I took the time to catch my breath. I tilted my head back and shut my eyes, letting the sun warm my face. It felt very pleasant actually, like the warm feeling I had had yesterday.

Before I could think any more about it though, I felt two arms slip around my waist. I gasped slightly and turned my head to see Reno's grinning face.

"You alright?" He asked playfully.

I glared at him, although I wasn't really angry. "You scared the living daylights out of me," I said huffily.

He laughed, bringing his face next to my ear. "Sorry," He whispered, his lips brushing against my earlobe slightly. I felt my face heat up, and I was unable to keep my angry countenance.

"It's fine," I said, relaxing against his chest. "Anyways, why did you want me to meet you here?"

He turned me around to face him, a mischievous smile lighting his face. "I wanted you here so that I could take you down to the beach," he said. "You could call it a date."

"Reno…" I said, surprised beyond words. I almost felt like crying. No one had ever offered to take me somewhere, and I felt so happy at his suggestion.

He seemed to sense my surprise and his grin became even brighter. "Sound good to you?" He asked.

I nodded, a smile breaking out on my face. "Of course."

"Great. Let's go then."

"How are we going to get there?" I asked curiously, as he began to lead me to the front of the building.

"Ever been on a motorcycle?" He asked.

I shook my head. "No."

"Than this will be a lot of fun," he said, his eyes sparkling.

I looked at him suspiciously, but said nothing.

We had reached the motorcycle by that time, and he climbed on to it, motioning for me to get on behind him. When I did, he turned around and said, "There are two things you need to do. One, hang on to me." As soon as I had securely put my arms around his middle, he began to rev the engine.

"What's the other one?" I asked, raising my voice so that he could hear me over the noise.

"Don't let go." Than he started the machine and kicked off into the forest at an incredible speed. It took all my strength not to let go, and I screamed "Damnit Reno!"

He laughed, and I could tell he was smirking. "Having fun?"

If I wasn't so scared of letting go, I would've hit him. "Bastard!" I yelled.

He laughed again, this time not saying anything, only speeding up.

So, how do you like my second chapter? It was short, I know, but I want to dedicate all of the next chapter to their date at the beach. That said, I will now bid you all goodbye til the next chapter. Bye!


	3. The Date

A/N: Yes, I'm FINALLY updating. :D The world must be ending… I'm actually having a lot of fun writing though, despite my incredibly bad writer's block. Anyways, I'll reply to my reviews now.

Chibi demon scythe: Thankyou. 

Nanaki BH: Cool.Argh, I know, but when I started writing this, the only Runo's I had read were yours, Miyamashi's, and one or two others. I didn't know it was an over-used topic.; I'm sorry. And yes, I've been angry with myself for putting Rufus OOC, since I love his cold cynicism. And I'll try very hard not to turn him into a super-uke, since I don't find the thought all that good for Rufus anyways. Thank you for your advice.

Puki-san: Innocent? Really? I'm flattered.:) Thank you.

Miyamashi: Runo, eh? I'll be sure to use that…but anyways, thank you very much. I love your Runo stories, so I feel kinda honored that you'd review my somewhat pathetic attempt at a Runo.;;; Um, all this is happening about a month before the death of the president. Does he really seem that young…:);; But I know, I make a lot of grammar errors. sigh Gotta fine-tune my writing.

Teragon: Mmm, yes, there should be.

Green Feathers: Mwee, thank you! I'm so glad you like the fluff…I thought I was overdoing it. Barely dressed Rufus does sound appealing, ne? Elena is such a lucky girl. And thanks for the tip. I know I should be more descriptive, but I don't really think about it sometimes, and plus, I don't want to be too descriptive. And you're welcome! I want to give anyone who would review my stories a special mention.:) Reviews are what make me feel all warm and fuzzy.

Kurohi Tatsaki: Yes, cuteness all around! But there may be some angst in later chapters. Just keep reading.:)

TheHomocidalManiac777:Awww, thank you. It makes me feel so special to know that someone would put on of my fics in their fav category.

Tao-chan: Thank you! And I agree, they ARE one of the best pairings in FF7. Besides Vin&Cid o'course.

Chapter 3

By the time we got to the beach, I was close to passing out. The speed and blurring colors had all been so overwhelming. But I didn't mind much. After I had gotten past the first few minutes, it had become rather fun. I wasn't going to tell Reno that though; not yet at least. I was still a little peeved about the motorcycle thing, but I wasn't really angry anymore. It's pretty hard to stay mad at Reno for long.

I had to admit though; it was definitely worth that hellish ride to be here. It was absolutely beautiful here. The sand was snow white, and incredibly soft. It felt good against my bare feet. And the ocean was stunning, blues and greens mixing together to make light aquas. The way the sunlight hit it made it shimmer brightly, almost blindingly so. But I couldn't look away from it, finding it all too entrancing for words. It was enough to take one's breath away.

Than I felt two arms slip around my chest, hugging me tightly. Reno rested his chin on my shoulder, gazing out at the ocean as well. His bright red hair brushed against my neck, tickling it softly.

"It's beautiful, huh?" He asked, his voice holding a strangely gentle tone.

I nodded, still unable to speak. Beautiful didn't even seem to fit. Gorgeous was better suited to the sight before me. The wind blew the salty spray on my face, cooling it easily, while I closed my eyes, taking in the scent of everything around me, picking up a particularly strong scent, one I knew came from Reno. It was an almost indescribable smell, something like cinnamon, alcohol, and smoke, although there was something more to it, something that added to it all to make it unique. Something that could only be described as Reno…

"Reno…do you think time exists out here?" I asked. I knew the question sounded extremely odd, but I couldn't help it. To me, the sparkling ocean and clear, blue skies seemed to go on forever, as though time or age could not touch it as it did to us humans. It seemed as though the world could end around it and it would still be here, a continuous, blue whole in which time could not, and did not exist.

"I don't know," he finally answered, his voice so quiet I could barely hear him above the crashing waves. "Sometimes I wonder…it does feel like there's no time here, huh? Just you, and the things around you…"

I turned around to face him, startled at how much his answer sounded like my thoughts. I ended up staring into his beautiful eyes, and was a little surprised to see so much…depth in them. So many emotions seemed to be swirling around in those emeralds…happiness, caring, and…what was it? It seemed to be soft and warm…it reminded me of the emotion I had felt yesterday…what _was_ it?

Before I could think any more about it, Reno flashed one of those big grins of his and ran past me, down to the ocean. He quickly removed his shirt and jacket, tossing them on to the dry sand a few yards away. Then he began running around wildly in the water, yelling at the top of his lungs, just like a child. He looked mad…but at the same time, he was incredibly sexy…

"Hey, Rufus, come over here!" He had stepped out of the water, and was soaked from the waist down. He had an innocent smile on his face, one that I would have been a total idiot to trust.

"Why?" I asked suspiciously. He just continued looking at me, and I finally gave up and began walking over to him. His smile grew wider, and I could see mischief playing behind his eyes. What did he have planned…?

"Ever been swimming before?" He asked, his innocent smile never wavering.

"No…why…" But then I saw the glimmer in his eyes. So _that_ was it! It only took me two seconds to start scrambling away, but he, having far better reflexes, quickly grabbed me and lifted me up, carrying me bridal fashion to the water.

"No, Reno, don't! I can't swim!" I did all I could to protest, kicking and screaming, but I might as well have been talking to a brick wall, because as soon as he had gotten waste deep, he dropped me in.

It was freezing! I gave a yelp that was cut off by the water rushing into my mouth. It tasted terrible, like liquid salt. As soon as my feet touched the sandy bottom, I shot up, coughing like mad. Reno, on the other hand, was shrieking with laughter. Bastard.

"It's…not…funny," I said in between coughs. He didn't stop, instead I think he laughed harder. Frustrated, I grabbed his shoulders and shoved him under the water. When he resurfaced ,however, he wasn't coughing. He was _choking_. His face was bright red, and he couldn't even seem to put two syllables together. I burst out laughing. It was so hilarious! Finally, the choking noises stopped, and I opened my eyes, my laughter dying down when I saw the angry glare in his eyes.

"You are SO going to pay for that," he said, a mischievous glimmer in his eyes.

I started backing away slowly, looking at him cautiously. "Reno…what are you going to do…?" I was almost scared to hear the answer. I started running as best I could in the water, which didn't really amount to much. I got as far as two feet, before he had caught up to me, grabbing my arms and pulling me back. Before I could say anything, he shoved me under, although this time he didn't let go of my shoulders.

I lost air fairly quickly again, but this time, when I tried to get up, he still held me under. I continued to struggle against his grip, although as panic began to fill my body, and as air began to leave it, I started to lose control of what I was doing. I ended biting his arm, forcing him to pull back, and I shot through the surface of the water, taking a huge gasp of breath.

I turned towards Reno, who was holding his arm angrily, glaring at me. "What the hell was that for!" He hissed.

"Excuse me? YOU were the one trying to DROWN me asshole!" I shouted. Who the hell did he think he was, getting angry at me for not letting him kill me!

Reno rolled his eyes, and said, "I wasn't trying to drown you, you're just over-reacting."

My eyes widened, both anger and incredulity surging through me. "Over-reacting! I couldn't BREATHE Reno, how the HELL am I over-reacting!"

Now something along the lines of hurt entered his features. "So, you honestly thought I'd let you _drown_?"

I stood still for a moment. The question had stunned me, as I hadn't even stopped to think about it before I had started yelling at him. Now that I thought about it, it seemed completely idiotic that I had made that accusation, because it was highly unlikely that Reno really would have let me drown. "Well, I was panicked…I wasn't really thinking…I couldn't breathe…"

He glared at me. "Damn straight you weren't thinking."

"But then why wouldn't you let me up when I started struggling in the first place?" I asked, feeling a sort of need to defend myself.

"Because I thought you could handle it. I wouldn't have kept you down there for that much longer, idiot."

The insult held a particularly angry tone, which really pissed me off. How in God's name was I supposed to know that? It's not like I can read his damn mind. "Well, I'm so sorry for not knowing that," I said coldly.

We both walked over to the shore, soaking wet. But at least Reno had taken off his shirt and jacket before going into the water. I was completely clothed when he dragged me in. When I sat down on the sand, I began shivering. It was a relatively warm day, but it was also somewhat windy, and I was not appreciating the cool breeze at the moment.

Just when I thought the awkward silence would never end, I heard Reno sigh and get up, walking over to me. He sat down next to me, and handed me a blue bundle. I stared at it in confusion for a few seconds, until I realized that it was his jacket.

"Thanks," I said quietly, avoiding eye contact. I put the jacket on quickly, and was surprised at how warm it was. I feel like the world's biggest jackass right now, and god only knows how Reno must be feeling.

"No problem," he replied, just as quietly. Then he looked at me and said, "Look, I'm sorry."

I looked up, surprised and slightly wary. "What?"

He sighed again, although this time he looked me in the eye. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have tried holding you down in the water, and I shouldn't have acted like such a bitch when you got freaked out."

"It's okay…and I'm sorry too," I replied, swallowing slightly. I have never, in all my years of living, apologized to ANYONE for anything. It's hard.

It was quiet for a few minutes until Reno grinned and said, in an overly gushy voice, "Awww, I think we just ended our first fight."

I slapped his shoulder in mock annoyance, and said, "Shut up."

He didn't say anything, choosing instead to ruffle my hair. If he were any other person, I would've slapped his hand away and warned him to never touch me again. I hate having my hair messed with, because when I was a child, my mother always used to ruffle my hair just like this, while she called me 'her little boy'. I frowned slightly, trying to pull more images of my mother from my memories. From what I can remember, she had the same, strawberry blonde hair, and the same blue eyes as I do. Except her eyes were never icy-cold, like the ones I saw reflected in the mirror every day. Hers were always filled with love and warmth.

"Rufus?"

My head snapped up when I heard my name, temporarily ceasing my influx of memories. "What?"

"Are you okay?" Reno's voice held an undertone of concern, and I realized that I had been spaced out for the last few minutes or so.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I was just thinking," I said, in what I hoped was a reassuring voice.

"About what?" He asked, his voice sounding a little more relaxed.

I frowned again. My mother was one of the most uncomfortable subjects for me to discuss with anyone, and it always has been. But I decided that I at least owed him this much for not trusting him earlier. "My mother."

I saw a hint of interest spark in his eyes. "Your mother? I didn't know you had a mother."

I raised an eyebrow. "Everyone has a mother, Reno."

His cheeks flushed slightly, and he spoke in a frustrated tone that proved fairly amusing. "I know that! What I meant was, that I'd never seen your mother before. Does she live somewhere else?"

Despite the fact that it was an honest question, I tensed up, and my reply came out much colder than I had meant it to be. "She's dead."

His eyes widened for a moment, then he looked down. "I'm sorry."

I forced my body to relax and shook my head. "It's okay, you didn't know."

"Um…if you don't mind my asking, what happened to her? Your mom, I mean." I could tell by his now careful speech pattern that he was trying not to upset me, which made me strangely happy. Not many people go out of their way to make sure that I don't get hurt. And if they do, it's only because they don't want to lose their job. So I decided to answer his question, albeit somewhat icily.

"When I was 9, my mother and father had a huge argument about me. My father thought that I should be put into a special training facility in Junon, where I would be taught 'proper discipline', as he put it. My mother flat out refused to let me go, saying that I was too young. It ended with my mom dragging me out of there, screaming about how she wasn't going to stand for this anymore. The next day, she was gone. They said she committed suicide. My dad killed her," I finished bitterly, tears of rage and sorrow stinging my eyes.

I could tell by his face that Reno wasn't nearly as surprised as most would be. But he still seemed stunned. "He killed her over something like that?" Reno asked, incredulity seeping through every word.

I shook my head, tears spilling over and splashing on the sand. "No, not just that. It turned out that my mother had been making plans to take me away with her to her hometown, Gongaga, where we would stay with her relatives. But father made sure that that wasn't going to happen."

I could see the sympathy in Reno's eyes, but he didn't say anything. I don't think he knew _what _to say. So when he finally did break the silence, he did something that most people do when uncomfortable with a topic. He changed it.

"So…your mother came from Gongaga?" He asked, feigning non-chalance.

"Yes," I replied, my voice becoming a little less painful with the lighter topic. "She lived there until she was 19, with her aunt and uncle. She a left about a year after her cousin Zack was born." I avoided mentioning that she left with my father, figuring that he could fill in the blanks.

Now there was actual interest in his eyes. "Did you say Zack?"

I nodded, tilting my head. "Yes, why?"

"I knew a guy named Zack back during the incident at Nibelheim. He came from Gongaga, too. Had long, spiky black hair, blue eyes, and never stopped smiling," Reno said, a grin appearing on his own face. "And he was pretty good at holding his alcohol too."

I jumped slightly, excitement flooding through me. "That's him!" I exclaimed. "Zachary Knightblade, SOLDIER 1st Class. My second cousin. I can't believe you knew him!"

Reno laughed, which prompted me to do the same. I didn't usually laugh that much, so I think he may have been a little surprised when I did. But after the laughter subsided, he looked at me curiously and asked, "Whatever happened to him, anyways? I haven't seen him since it happened."

I shrugged, although I was fairly curious about it myself. "I don't know. I lost contact with him 5 years ago, around the time I turned 16. I was actually kind of disappointed when he stopped writing to me…besides my mother and his parents, he was the only other person that genuinely cared about me…" I trailed off, not knowing how to finish the sentence. "So, where did you come from?" I asked, trying to put the focus off myself.

"I grew up in the Slums," he replied, his grin unwavering. "My mom came from Kalm, but my dad lived in Sector 6 all his life. Dunno how he managed to marry her, since he was drunk all the time, but he did. You can thank my dad for my insane hair," he remarked, pointing towards his untidy hair, laughing slightly. "My mom is the reason I'm so damn skinny though."

I smiled as I listened to Reno rant on and on about his family, whom, though he pretended not to, he obviously cared about very much. Although one mystery that he'd had yet to explain to me was his scars. So I decided to ask. "Reno…I've been wondering…how did you get those scars underneath your eyes? They look to neat to have been accidental, like if you'd gotten them from a job…" Instantly I noticed the unease that appeared in his eyes as I questioned, but when I finished, he answered me immediately.

"You're right; they didn't come from a job…I made them. When I was 15, my mom had temporarily left my dad. She took me with her, to Kalm, and we ended up living with some friends of hers. Her 'friends' were abusive control freaks, though, and the didn't want us to leave. They started hitting my mom, and then me. My mom wanted to call my dad, but they refused to let her, and when I tried to sneak a phone call, they beat us, then locked us in a room…" He trailed off slightly, but before I could say anything, he continued.

"They weren't letting us out, and I knew that they weren't going to unless they had too. I knew that if something bad happened, really bad, than they would let us out. So I decided to hurt myself somehow, in a way that wasn't all that bad, but that would look bad to them. I told my mom, and at first she didn't want to go along with it, but I eventually got her to realize that it was the only way. She asked me what I was going to do, and I told her that I would cut myself, so that they would see all the blood and figure that I was in a lot of trouble."

"So I grabbed a razor edge and went to the mirror. I knew that the most convincing place to cut myself would be my face. So I decided to make two cuts, one beneath each eye." He laughed a little here, with a slightly bitter edge to it. "It worked. My mom started screaming and pounding on the door, saying that I was bleeding to death. They came in and saw my face, and completely freaked out, and they took me to a hospital. I guess I'd done more damage to myself than I'd thought, 'cause I ended up passing out somewhere on the way to the hospital, and when I woke up, my mom and dad were there. My mom was crying, saying that she thought I was in serious trouble." Reno rolled his eyes. "She was always melodramatic about this kind of stuff."

I gaped at him, alarm flooding through me. Reno had recounted his tale with a casual tone, like he was talking about a family vacation, but it was horrible all the same. Being forced to cut yourself, and bleed to the point of passing out to escape some abusive crazies was not something that most would refer to in such an off-handed manner. Maybe he'd done what I'd done, and pushed it back enough so that it didn't hurt so much. But Reno really didn't seem like the type who would do that…

"Hey, it's almost 4:00, we need to get going," Reno stated, pointing to a black watch on his wrist.

I leaned forward to look at the watch, a little surprised to find that it was correct. "Has it really been that long since we've been here?"

He nodded, a somewhat sad smile on his face. "Yeah, it has. And we need to get back so that I won't be late for my guard duty again."

I frowned, but I didn't want Reno to get in trouble again on my account, so I sighed and said, "Alright." We trudged over to his bike before I finally realized something. "Reno, what are we going to do about my clothes? I can't go back there wearing your jacket."

Reno smirked and said, "What, would it be embarrassing?"

I gave him an annoyed glare and replied, "Seriously, what do I do? My clothes are soaked anyways, and I-" He didn't let me finish the sentence before he pulled me into a kiss. But just as soon as he'd done it, he pulled away.

"Don't worry, okay? If I play it right, I can get you into that house without anyone noticing, and you can change then, alright?"

I nodded, my head spinning a little from the quick but pleasant kiss. "How are you going to get rid of the guards?" I asked, as we got onto his motorcycle.

"Don't worry about that yet, just sit back and enjoy the ride," he answered with a grin, once again starting to rev the engine. I sighed and decided to trust him, and I fastened my arms around his waste. Without warning, he started the bike up, racing towards the stone building again, although this time I was more prepared, and my only reaction was to hold on tighter.

_Well, this wasn't what I expected for a first date, but what the hell?_

DONE! I finally finished the 3rd chapter. That was certainly an interesting date, eh? Bet it's not what anyone expected (I didn't expect it to be this way either), but I think it turned out good. Oh, and in case no one noticed, the Zack I used is the same Zack from the game. ;P I couldn't resist the thought of Zack and Rufy being related, and I felt the urge to toy with that idea. Hey, it's not entirely implausible.;) Haha, I have the feeling that this chapter was a little too fluffy, and I know that there wasn't very much romantic-ness in it, but please bear with me. I promise I'll make the next chapter better.:) And I promise not to take so long to update either. 7 months…damn…Kay, well, til next time! Kylie out.


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